Ranma’s new pet friend
by mbbal-railracer
Summary: Ranma seeing that Akane not getting the hint that P-chan is Ryoga, he attempts to do the same way as she did. He adopts his own pet.


Disclaimer: Ranma ½ and all associated characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi and are used without permission. This fan-fiction isn't intended for commercial use but is rather a tribute to the Ranma ½ universe.  
  
Ranma's new pet friend  
  
Ranma seeing that Akane not getting the hint that P-chan is Ryoga, he attempts to do the same way as she did. He adopts his own pet.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
It was after the wedding in which everything went back to normal for everybody. But there was one person who didn't consider this situation being normal. This person was Ranma. Being attack randomly by his foes, getting hugs by his fiancées and being bullied by the schemers wasn't the greatest thing to live at this moment.  
  
Ranma hoped the wedding would be a success but it had failed to his dismay. Of course Akane was angry that the wedding was a disaster and told all about it to her favorite pet P-chan in her bedroom. P-chan was a black piglet who was in reality Ryoga who had a Jusenkyo curse. Ryoga turned into a pig everything when splashed with cold water as Ranma turned into a girl as he was splashed with cold water.  
  
Ranma could not understand that Ryoga would go so low to be with Akane. Ryoga should have known better that Akane was going to marry Ranma. But again Ryoga did some help in wreaking the wedding whether it was intention or not. While it is unknown if Ryoga did anything that was pervert according to Akane's theory such as looking her changing or something, there were two solid facts. First Ryoga blushed every time Akane held his pig form touching her bosoms. Second he slept with her in bed in his pig form. It was the damn promise that Ranma had to uphold to Ryoga that Ranma could not tell anybody about the pig's curse. It also what Ryoga took advantage of whenever he wanted to get near Akane. Motives could be anything in Ryoga's mind such as to protect Akane from danger aka Ranma. But that would be questionable if you were to ask Ryoga and that Ryoga would sputter when you mention the word Akane. It was somehow like saying the word Kasumi to Dr. Tofu except Ryoga won't do stupid things like the doc. But again that is questionable.  
  
Now currently in the Tendo household, people are doing their own business. Genma was playing Shogi with Soun. Kasumi was doing laundry. Nabiki was counting her earning from a pool bet earlier in the day when Ranma fought another battle against a random martial artist. Ryoga seemed to magically here even with his amazing curse if you would say to be lost so easily. But then again Ryoga was in this pig form and Ranma was chasing him for the usual stuff.  
  
"Stop picking on P-chan!" yelled Akane.  
  
Of course Ranma does his usual foot in the mouth which he learned from his father and gets bitten by P-chan. Before Ranma could do anything, Ranma was punted into air by the mallet of hers on Ranma's head which was like a mallet rest pad.  
  
"You ok?" cooed Akane to the pig who nodded. "I swear Ranma is such a jerk." The pig also nodded to that comment as well.  
  
Meanwhile, Ranma landed onto a water fountain changing to a girl. Ranma-chan slowly got up and walk in no particular direction. In his mind or in this case her mind; Ranma was reflecting on his on going situation after his major battle. Ranma realized after a few weeks or so that he was no longer a martial artist. He killed somebody in cold blood. Well not really it was more like hot since he was in a furnace like environment was battling Saffron. Even the phoenix was reborn; still the fact was that he killed. This was not in the code of being a martial artist. He broke one rule while enacting on another rule which was to protect the weak. Yes during his fight, Akane was weak almost dying if Ranma have not killed Saffron. He thought about a long time when ever he could about protecting the weak and his love to Akane. Yes he loved Akane enough to kill somebody. But it was at the same time to save her life or else she would have died. He remembered the other times in which he had to save her but did she ever thanks him? No, she would just blame him for her kidnapping. But the blame didn't come right away. At first she would be relived that Ranma came and such by giving Ranma a smile that Ranma always loved. Her smile was the thing that kept Ranma alive since he did love her. But later on, she would revert back in her tomboyish attitude and the fights would start between them again.  
  
Ranma had tears in his eyes. But you couldn't tell since he or she was wet.  
  
I am a man. Man don't cry. thought Ranma in his mind. But his body didn't react the same way as his body did. So he used his soul of ice to clam down which always worked. Seeing there was an empty abandon lot, he went into it and just sat on the middle of the field filled with weed and overgrown grass. He reflected for his life. Nothing was the same for him. Damn emotion, always clouded his logic. Emotion while is intangible could bring the most powerful fighter to its weakest point.  
  
How it came to his point could be said when he had gotten detention aka his life force leached out of him when he didn't do any of his English homework for various chaotic reasons. He was force to stay behind and force to read more books. These books had impacted his mind like no other things in his life. Sure he gotten hit by a mallet, pulverized by any chi attacks, or got hit by a couple tons rock. But none of them had register in his brain because he was able to be healed from the damages easily after a few days. These books he read had to do something about death. Death is the thing that hunted him because he was a murderer. Some people would say even it was for the right cause, still he was the epitome shame of a martial artist for breaking an important rule. His honor was highly up held and Ranma could not do anything what so ever to rid of his honor. His honor was his own downfall. He could be easily insulted and be tricked to do anything based on his honor. Ranma's father claimed to have honor but he was ironically did not have any honor. Honor is the same as emotion being intangible.  
  
His father was not like a father. He was more of a sensei than a parent to Ranma. Taking Ranma away from his birth mother, sacrificing love of a child to be strong than most people, people would say Genma was the epitome of being a child abuser. But Ranma when he read these English novels whether it was translated long time ago from different languages, saw something worse than his father. Yes these books would make Genma look like an ideal father even if he had left Ranma in a pit filled of hungry cats that ate some of his flesh or so. There were people who were so much evil than Genma.  
  
Genma while did stupid things like making too many engagements, doing ridiculous training which was dangerous, taught Ranma to steal, to cheat and to lie to various store owners. Yes Genma even blamed his son for crimes that Ranma did not commit such as not paying a tab at the bar and barhopping. Overall, the fact was that Genma made sure Ranma stayed alive. He looked out for Ranma, despite how dishonorable his methods were. But again we could look at the reasoning for Genma to keep his only son alive since it was to keep a pledge of getting two schools of Anything Goes together. But again it was not like everyday, you would automatically get a fiancée.  
  
The books Ranma read was not like those fairy tale story in which the good guys always win and there is a happy ending in the story as he remembered as a kid. These books had shown the grizzly side of humanity from drug narcotics to slavery and genocide. This hurts so much on Ranma's mind to think all the darkness that humanity could have done to itself. In these books, there were parents who were so delirious in their lives such as being a junkie, neglect the welfare of their children. Children without any guidance do things to pass their time such as skipping school and petty theft that Ranma himself had done. Eventually the children would go into gangs and commit serious crimes, almost like a suicidal destiny. No peace and no hope. People in the world don't give a damn, just only to themselves. People would grieve a few days when a person died but that was it.  
  
Ranma had to read all these books related to death and social issues which he would be quizzed on later. One question marked wrong would result his life being sucked away. He had gotten all answer right but again he was accused of being a cheater even the chi vampire was in front of him of the whole time. Result of his ki being drain with Ranma not protesting. There was no point. He was powerless to do so even he knew her weak points. Even it was to do something good, all the girls look at Ranma with hatred. Yes even if Ranma tried to stop Happosai, Happosai would plant evidence to make Ranma the culprit. Boys look at Ranma with jealously since they didn't have his strength in which they did not bother to train for.  
  
Ranma still at the empty lot envied so much Akane. She seemed to have an easy life. The thing she had was friends. Ranma had no friends at all. Yes Ukyo was his friend but she wasn't one when she literally bombed the wedding. Friends are supposed to do what is the best for their friends as he once thought. But reading these books made him think since there were so many friends that turned against each other just on some ideology. He had to do all the grunt work. Kuno always said Akane was for him. Right as if since he didn't stand a chance against the demi-god. Akane was too thick headed. She should know that Ryoga has a curse since he went to the trip to China. It was so obvious since everybody who had left had a Jusenkyo curse and even Shampoo blurted out as well.  
  
Akane the one, who played as a young child, went to school, made friends, learned, and trained in martial arts up until this point of time. She might even have some birthday parties. Did Ranma ever celebrate a birthday? No he could not even remember his own birthday. He envy everybody. The cake, the friends, and finally the best part presents. Ranma never got presents except if you meant by learning a new technique. Akane seemed to have it all. She lived the life of an average girl like an overall normal life. But when he came everything changed. She was regarded as the best martial artist in Nermia but now had the rank of a fiancée. Ranma had hoped to have some friends at day he arrived but instead his hope was dashed. Akane didn't like boys at the beginning and only liked him as a girl.  
  
When he read the books, he realized that Kasumi was like the others. Yes while she didn't do anything bad to him, she turned a blind eye to her surroundings. It was hard to say whether it was worse to commit a crime or knowing that the crime happened but not doing anything about it. But again his problems were not her problems. She shunned him away at day one when she thought he was a weirdo.  
  
Akane seemed to be happy since she is surrounded with friends at school. She gets to do the everyday thing a teenager would do such as the shopping mall. Other hand Ranma, he had two friends which look like friends. But in truth, he knew they just wanted to score some hot chicks using what technique that Ranma used. But again there is a saying that girls like bad boys or something. Ranma seemed to be bad since he was able to ignore many rules of the school.  
  
The library was a great place to be. Yes many books to read through to get out of the real world into the fantasy world. But it was also the known as the hall of knowledge to him. He would often get Akane punting him so he could spend time at the place. He can just stay out for a while and not come back by claiming that Akane punted him into place that he didn't recognize and that he had trouble coming back. Ranma was like a book who should not be judge by its cover. He had been secretly studying like math and every school subject he could without anybody knowing. His father wouldn't approve and there will be suspicion among people who thought he was a jock. He knew almost any language very well since he traveled around the world with his pop but it was the problem of writing and recognizing new words that was his fault. He was a good haggler considering his pops only knew numbers with the digits zero after a number on a piece of paper. Life on the road was hard. Ranma had to learn many things the hard way. Sometimes he doubts himself why he evens accept this lifestyle. But again there was the little thing that people call hope. It was the thing that people held on at all cost whether they were going to die or not. There was another thing as well about justice. His life wasn't fair. But again many people said life isn't fair. In some countries, they have the notion of being innocent until proven guilty in the court of law. But still people act on immediate judgment like beating him up with evidences planted on him framing of crimes like Happosai had done. Justice isn't serve fast enough since there things call statue limitation. Nabiki could serve little or no time in jail because she is a 'kid' while an adult would get in jail for all these stuff that would be said crimes of a mafia.  
  
But he didn't get it. Since he committed a crime of murder, the world he lives in now is made of glass. But with her, she has no emotion at all of anything she had done. He hated her smirk that she always gave to him every time. He wished he could just wipe that smirk away. Everything from his life was stripe away. He got trick into being in debt like those credit card companies giving free credit to teens. Her mother would have died of shame seeing any of her daughters doing this type of stunt.  
  
Ah yes, Ranma's mother. The one, who Ranma had to hide away in order not to be discovered, since it would be death since his father made a suicide contract to be a man. But what is it to be a man? Is it physical attributes or intelligence to become a man?  
Ranma had no idea what it meant to be a man. A man is supposed to be strong according to his dad. He is strong but still he had to hide away like a coward. He never met his mom in ten years and long for her motherly touch. So close but he will never get what he desires.  
  
Now it was almost dawn with the sun turning red doing its usual sundown as Ranma noticed. Still he didn't feel that he wanted to go. Then there was the sound of a ringing bell. Ah Shampoo the Amazon. The one who thinks obstacles are for killing but did she kill? The answer is simply no. She was annoying as most people would put it. But what are her real motives?  
  
There she was the one who turns into a cat, was riding her bicycle after going the last delivery of the day. When she passed the abandon lot she noticed him. Why she takes such effort in getting him? She was married to him in just a simple rule in the Amazon law. She was beaten by him and therefore was married by him. Some people say it is stupid but according to the Amazon society, it was not.  
  
"Hiya Arien you come to date with Shampoo?" she said as she jumped off and glomped on him who was sitting on the dirty earthy land. But then she realized something was wrong. Arien usually tried to shake her off . But this time, he didn't do anything and there was the eerily sound of silence.  
  
"Ranma?" she asked to the silence red-hair girl. Not getting a response, Shampoo gets a thermo out of the basket of her bicycle and dumps on Ranma who changes back to a male.  
  
"Shampoo… just kill me," said Ranma with a lot of emotion.  
  
"Hiya! I can't do that! You are ari gak" said Shampoo before being choke.  
  
"Arien? Is that what you all think about me? Just some person who you can just go and play around? Asked Ranma dangerously as he lets go of Shampoo who was wedging to get out of his chokehold. Ranma stopped realizing that he was starting to be a killer. Something he dreads not wanting to do again. Shampoo seeing the first time, anger and angst in Ranma's eyes, did not dare to leave. He could beat her up badly if she did one stupid mistake. She remembered he was the one who could split a mountain in half. She kept talking in hoping the situation disperses.  
  
"But that is what law said…"  
  
"Law? Is that all you think about? Law? You gave me the kiss of death! And the kiss of marriage later! Why don't you just kill me like your laws says about obstacles."  
  
"Obstacles are for killing…"  
  
"Good! I'm your obstacle so kill me!" said Ranma somewhat taunting her trying to see if he could get the truth out of her.  
  
"But Shampoo can't! I failed the first time killing you. Fail second time result into death!"  
  
"You are not an Amazon if you can't kill obstacles. So kill me so you will live! Everybody hates my guts and would be better off without me. Why didn't you kill me the first time?"  
  
"But Shampoo can't… Shampoo love…"  
  
"Love? What can you preach about love? You don't know a damn thing about love! You put potions and stuff in the food to trick me!"  
  
"But…but…."  
  
"But what? You know that is the truth! I'm just some fine lab specimen for your tribe for women to feed on."  
  
"But women are important!"  
  
"Really?" Ranma went up to her face. "What would you say if I was to marry you?"  
  
"Shampoo will be happy, we move to China and we live happy life," said Shampoo simply like a machine which was programmed in her mind.  
  
"Happy life? I won't be happy. You would. You have all your family there. I bet you have your mother too who so proud of you," said Ranma.  
This struck a cord at her.  
  
"Mother? I have no mother! She died during a raid at the village. I was raise alone with grandmother! You don't even know my mother?"  
  
"Neither do I. If I leave with you, I leave my mother. My mother is important so if I leave you would be saying she is not important. What about your father? Wasn't he important?"  
  
"No he didn't help me train. He was nothing."  
  
A silence went out though the vacant lot.  
  
"Nothing… This proves my point. I will be nothing if I go with you into the tribe."  
  
"You're not nothing! You have friends and special!"  
  
"Friends? If I'm so special and got friends why wasn't I able to marry Akane?!" yelled Ranma.  
  
This made Shampoo realized something.  
  
"You really loved Akane didn't you?"  
  
"Yes…"  
  
"But it was forced! Shampoo need to bomb wedding! You are Shampoo's Arien."  
  
"Arien, Arien, Arien that is what I would call a prize, a trophy to show to the other girls in your village. Oh please that is a lie. None of this wouldn't happen if you could just kill me earlier on when we met the first time."  
  
Shampoo looked at him in the eyes.  
  
"Shampoo didn't kill because she learned so many things from Ranma. Ranma had shown Shampoo the outside world. The world is cruel but I learn languages enough to pass by. I was free from being train by grandmother. I live in many adventures that many girls wouldn't have done in their life time. When Shampoo was beaten by Ranma, Shampoo was happy. No need to go back home, stay here with you, live happy life. But you lied show girl. Shampoo do not know to kill because Shampoo never killed before. You had eyes, the fear people when I fought back home. Shampoo couldn't kill whom she loved. So she left in tears back home. Price for failure was like death, stripped of my human body. People who I thought I got respect showed none. Boys back home act stupid just want me as trophy as usual. But you Ranma don't care! You look into the soul of a person and help people! Even the ones you hate!"  
  
"Hate. The word hate was no magic in it. I hate the world. I hate the place I live in. I hate the life I live. Even though they are the people I hate, I still have that damn rule of protect and help the weak. If I don't, I feel guilty. Don't know why but I just do."  
  
"Is that why you stayed with Akane all the time? I know that you could have gone to spatula girl's home to stay instead at her place. Any of the girls are good cook, strong fighter, and would more than happy to be you. If you loved her so much why you don't declare your love?"  
  
"Just blurt out loud? Then what? I would be guilty to see you all in a mess trying to kill Akane in rage. You don't know what I'm feeling! If I married one of you, your suitor would be after me! You said you love me, so why didn't you fight for me? Hum? Why didn't you stop Mousse from attacking me? Obstacles are for killing!"  
  
"I'm a fighter, not a killer! Shampoo don't fight losing battles."  
  
"But you have to. You have said many times yourself."  
  
"So? What can I do? I can't do anything which is out my control. You have some expectations forced on you like it was forced on me."  
  
"I'm having the feeling that you are somehow educated not the bimbo type that the other girls say."  
  
"Oh please Ranma, even Mousse speaks better than me if you notice. Women aren't stupid as you males think. Grandmother said it is strategy to make enemies to underestimate you. I didn't speak that bad when I came here first time. You love Akane so why you don't say to her?"  
  
"Because of Ryoga," said Ranma as he looked at the ground.  
  
"Lost boy?"  
  
"Yeah he keeps pretending to be her pet P-chan and sleeps with her."  
  
This made her do one thing. She screamed seeing that Akane could be so dense. Even Shampoo herself was able to know it was Ryoga.  
  
"That is almost bad as sleeping with her as a man!"  
  
Ranma just glared at her as if with an expression saying 'No duh!'  
  
"Why don't you tell her that?" she asked.  
  
"It reason is that I made a promise to him not to tell anybody," answered Ranma.  
  
"So he's using that to his advantage…" said Shampoo.  
  
"Not like you haven't before," stated Ranma.  
  
Shampoo was silent. There was no point of denying Ranma's claim. She knew that she lied many times about having a cure but none exist at all. She saw there was a few loopholes around that promise and asked him:  
  
"Did you ever try to give hints about Ryoga to her?"  
  
"Yeah Akane is such a dunce. I called Ryoga so many times P-chan and she can't even get it into her thick skull," he spat in disgust.  
  
"Why not write a note or so? It's not like you are telling anybody," said Shampoo  
  
"But I just told you…." Ranma answered  
  
"So? Nobody needs to know about this conversation…" replied Shampoo  
  
"But it's not honorable!" Ranma exclaimed.  
  
"Ok since when is Ryoga honorable?" demanded Shampoo.  
  
"I'm not going to swoop down to his level," stated Ranma.  
  
Shampoo realized there was no way to make Ranma to let go of his pride of being honorable. But there was one way he could do without breaking his arrogance that he held for so many years.  
  
"Why don't you do the same thing she does?" Shampoo asked.  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Ranma who was puzzled by the statement of the purple hair Amazon.  
  
"You know if Akane adopted Ryoga as her pet, you should do the same," she answered.  
  
"I don't get it," said Ranma confused.  
  
"Figure it out. You know you should get home soon and dry up. It won't do any good if you catch a cold and become ill," said Shampoo changing the subject.  
  
"Since when did you care about me?" asked Ranma startlingly.  
  
"Say what you want to think but you wouldn't want to be caught in a weak state where Kuno or Mousse could get you easily…" said Shampoo as she left on her bicycle in the cold night.  
  
"Shampoo, you so full of surprises…" said Ranma being amused as he walked back to the Tendo dojo.  
  
Author's note  
  
I know it is not great since I don't have a beta reader so there are writing errors here. But I would like to have some input on what you readers think. Does anybody know a forum about Ranma fanficition? 


End file.
